The Shinra Affair: Tears of Black
by BleedingHeartsoftheWorldUnite
Summary: It was true that she hated disobeying President Shinra because of her relationship with his son, but her abrupt vanishing act made many wonder if foul play wasn't afoot... Rufus gazed intently at her, "Then you recall the promise you made me?"
1. Black

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I haven't played the original FFvii, but I've seen Advent Children (not Complete((the extended edition))) and I've beaten Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus. I haven't played any of the other games connected to the series either, ie Kingdom Hearts, etc. I really do love FFvii though, and I can't wait for the day I finally get the original game, or the fancy remake if they ever make one. Anyways, this story takes place around the games/movie. I also forgot what Gongaga should be like (if we even get to know), so that's a vague area.

P.S.

Please be kind and review!

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Her name was Larette Black, a former Turk working directly for Rufus Shinra prior to his father's death. Larette was very close with Rufus, much too often overstepping her professional boundaries for the liking of President Shinra, which lead her to eventually resigning from her post as not just Rufus's bodyguard, but as a Turk. Besides her self-stated insolence, a view few shared, Larette was very talented at what she did, and it was her remorse for her unprofessional acts that drove her into seclusion, or so everyone thought. It was true that she hated disobeying President Shinra because of her relationship with his son, but Larette's sudden withdrawal, in a time of growing discord, and her abrupt vanishing act made many wonder if foul play wasn't afoot...

Seven years ago, when the new VP was announced, rookie Turk Larette was put in charge of watching over the President's son, Rufus. It was her second or third assignment, but she came highly recommended by her peers. Reluctantly, President Shinra hired Larette himself, after a interviewing her to make sure he was placing the Vice President of the Shin-Ra Electric Company in trustworthy hands.

They sat in his office, alone. Larette clicked her tonuge nervously, the President very intimidating. "So Miss Black, how long have you been a Turk?"

"Please, Larette." She hated her last name, seeing it as a reminder of her past. "I've been a Turk since graduating high school..." So not very long.

"Um, only a handful of jobs, and yet your superiors think very highly of you?" He obviously planed on grilling her more than a kabob.

She blushed, not one for bragging, "You'll have to ask them about all that, sir. I only aim to take on a job and see it through to the end."

"Like your parents?" He asked the one thing she wished he wouldn't have. Her parents were a taboo topic...

In the grand sitting room at Shinra Manor, blue and silver decor dominant among black wooden surfaces and white marble floors, Rufus sat back at his father's neat and tidy desk, now his own and strewn with everything imaginable, scrolling boredly through a book as Larette slouched against the side of his desk, flipping through stacks of forms. There was an initial attraction between the both of them, but she, even in her spare time, would not yield. After a time, he won her over, and they became close. Their relationship would later open up a slightly more slack tolerance in the workplace, as demonstrated by Reno. Shortly before the last time Rufus and Larette would see each other, she told him of her intentions to quit her job, the mission too overwhelming for her to handle any further. She also apologized for being so informal with him. He wondered where her decision had come from, a previous conversation leading him to believe that something was out of place. When all was said and done and Rufus was able to investigate, all that remained of the "summer" house was ash and rubble. Any possible leads were lost, and he was forced to disband the case. He remembered Larette, clicking her tongue impatiently, a small habit she had that even she herself was probably unaware of, the rain beating against the windows in a steady pattern.

Pit, pat. Slit, slat. Click, clack. Pit, pat. Rufus gazed around, looking every now and again at his ever-present bodyguard. She did not immediately answer him, very sure of where his head was at, "Sir?"

Rufus looked passed Larette, seeing a more recent memory of the two, "Do you remember that time in Gongaga?"

A small grin graced her lips. How could she have forgotten? "Oh, I remember alright."

_While taking a short leave, Larette went home to Gongaga to visit her older sister, Caris Black. Caris had written her a few months ago, but Larette had been unable to visit her then. Rufus, thinking that some time off would be a good thing, opted to go to Gongaga with Larette. She objected, but like always, he ignored her protests and they arrived in the sleepy little town within a relatively short matter of time. She got them both separate rooms at the inn, and Rufus at once vanished into his while she tracked down her sister. Caris was at the market, and if they hadn't been twins, Larette wouldn't have recognized the eight-month pregnant woman waving cheerfully at her._

_"Caris?" Her jaw dropped, baffled at her sister's state._

_She hugged her little sister, "Larette!" She showed her a bright gold ring, "It's too bad you couldn't make it for the wedding!"_

_She thought back to her sister's letters, no mention of even a boyfriend in a single one. "Wedding?"_

_Caris carelessly waved her hand down the road to row of houses, mailboxes labeled from left to right: Fair, Rayne, and Zimmer. "I'm right there, in the middle. I married Thorton Rayne, the richest guy in the entire place, can you believe it?"_

_Sadly, yes. Larette could belive that her sister had married the richest guy she could. "Good for you." Caris seemed not to notice the tone in her sister's voice._

_The two headed back to the inn were Larette was staying, "So, did you hear that the Fair boy left to join SOLDIER? Didn't you used to have, like, a major thing for him?"_

_She reddened, her chrush on Zack a thing of the past, "A long time ago."_

_Caris snorted, "Not that long ago." It was true, it wasn't that long ago, but Larette really was over him. "Well, anyway, what about you? Have you found your Thorton yet?"_

_She was at a loss. She didn't want her sister to be all smug about her marriage, but she really couldn't make up a significant other on the spot either. Oh, what could she say? Luckily for her, Rufus was there to answer for her._

_"Sorry I'm late dear. Oh, is this charming woman your mother?" Rufus smiled brightly at Caris._

_She scowled, offended more because she had been called old, not because her mother was dead. "Larette, who's this?" She cracked her knuckles, ready to impale his face on her hand._

_"Rufus Shinra," He introduced himself, wrapping his arm around Larette's shoulders. "Her fiance." She blinked, dazed that he had just said that to her sister, who everyone always commented was the prettier twin._

_So, after a long weekend of pretending to be a couple and really getting to know each other beyond work, it was almost time. Time for them to go back, and time for Larette to really admit how she felt about Rufus. They had taken a hike for the day, storm clouds heavy, black, and pendulous in the afternoon sky. They were alone, Larette having ran off after Caris made her cry. They had been at breakfast, Caris making everything from scratch. A comment was made about how good her cooking was, and she responded cruelly, forcing her little sister to remember why they were never close._

_"At least I had plenty of time to learn, Larette was always too busy being a boy, or trying to kiss up to one. If our mother was still alive, I'd like to see what she'd have to say." Caris said it causally, the poison hiden in her meaning._

_Larette stood up, tears in her eyes, clenching the table, "At least I only pinned after one guy."_

_Caris jumped up, "I'm not abandoning our parent's ideals!"_

_Rufus and Thorton shrank back as she defended herself, "I'm not with Rufus because of the money, unlike some other people."_

_"Get out." Caris pointed at the door. "You're nothing to me, so get out. I never want to see you again."_

_"Fine with me." And she ran, Rufus behind her. She ran into a wooded, mountainous area. She didn't stop running until it started to rain..._

"Then you recall the promise you made me?" He set his book down, staring her down.

Larette laid down her work, "Yes." She scowled, resenting that he was bringing it up so soon after it happened, "I promised that as long as I believed in you, I would be at your side."

"Then why?" Rufus, more than anyone else in her life, was confused and betrayed by her actions. He spoke colder than normal to mask it. "Don't you believe in me anymore?" No matter what, he could not doubt her promise to him, made that rainy day in her hometown.

He was about to press his point, but Reno burst into the office before he could, "Hey, Larette, the big man wants to see you in his office." He looked around the office with a smirk that sarcastically said 'oh dear, what did I just catch you two doing?', "At the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company."

She took her que and followed Reno out of the office. She looked back at Rufus, wishing that she could have explained everything to him...


	2. President Shinra

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Ok, unofficially, I have decided to split this entire fic into separate mini-series (multiple part/different stories). Probably. The first (Tears of Black), will focus on Larette and her dealings with Shin-Ra/her origins. The second will focus on something else, like maybe what happens after this. Maybe it'll be a prequel. Who knows? However, they will all be about Larette, just so y'all know. Also, I totally see "President Shinra" to have been married many times. Wow, now I can't get the image of Rufus as the Goblin King (David Bowie in Labyrinth) outta my head. You'll understand why if you read on. I hope you do, but if not, well, that's just too bad.

P.S.

Please be kind and review!

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Larette sat at the desk of President Shinra, the father of her charge and the man who hired her for the job in the first place. He was glaring at her, loathing flashing murderously in his eyes, fingers steepled, reminiscent of how he had looked when she first saw him. Only this time, whatever courage she might have had then was long gone. He had warned her before that she needed to watch how she condoned herself at work, and she had agreed wholeheartedly, even going as far as to punish herself. Larette was sure that this was going to be their last meeting, and she was right. President Shinra had cautioned her, and she had not listened once, so now, it was time to reap what she had sown.

"Do you understand why I asked you here?" He asked, leaning back in his chair for a better look at Larette. She bit her lower lip apprehensively. "I had my reservations about you from the beginning. You seem to be a decent woman...But a dangerous one. I've seen your type before, in fact, I've married your type once. You're the sort of woman that can change a man, bend him to her whims...Change is not always a bad thing, but the difference you stir inside my son is not what's best for him or this company."

Larette looked at him in horror, shaking her head in disagreement, it being on the verge of flying off, "Sir! My relationship with your son is nothing like that-"

He sneered, cutting her off vehemently, "Have you forgotten your little trip back home?" She gasped, under the impression that only she and Rufus knew about what had happened in Gongaga.

_Rain drenched them to the bone, but they only went far enough to a small cavern to take shelter before heading back once the sky cleared up a bit. Larette was crying, the first tears Rufus had seen on her, her heart broken by her falling out with her sister. She regretted her words, but she knew that there was no going back. She was now truly alone, no parents, no aunts or uncles, no siblings. Larette would be fine, she knew it even then, but it still felt as if she were dying. Rufus, sweet enough to follow her the entire way, watched over her patiently, concern obvious._

_"Larette?" He asked, patting her heaving back. She looked at him, surprised to notice that he was there by her side in the torrental downpour._

_"Rufus, what are you doing here? Did you follow me?" It was pointless asking, but she still did it. He humored her and answered. She reached to smack herself in the forehead, but he caught her hand in his own. She reddened. "Rufus..."_

_"You may think you're alone, but I promise that I'll always be there to back you up." He kissed her hand, slowly drawing her closer. _

_She stumbled her way into his arms, usually sturdy with her footing, "You...You **really **do mean that, don't you?" She pushed herself back away from him. "I can't. Don't you understand that I can't?"_

_He was tired of this, seeing all of the years they've been together more than enough time to wait for her, "Larette, don't defy me!"_

_She looked down at her feet. So, it really had to be said and put into the open, didn't it? "Do you know why I became a Turk?"_

_He was baffled to say the least. "No." His voice was cold, sick of the distance she tried to keep between the both of them. But he sat down, curious to hear her story._

_"I thought not. Your father asked me when he hired me." She shuddered back the memory, President Shinra terrifying to her. "He actually brought up my parents. My parents..." She paused and decided to readdress them. "Xzerl and Kathrine Black... They were hard working people, but when she was taken by Shinra-" She looked at him, waving her hands around to show that she didn't blame him, or even the company. "Anyway, after Katherine was abducted, Xzerl and a group of renegades attacked Shin-Ra to save her. They did, but only the four of us made it out. Anyways, ever since, the Black's went around the Planet, organizing terrorist groups and starting discord for Shin-Ra. Caris idolized them, but I..." She thought back to herself as a small child, abandoned in a well. "I was left behind one day. I never liked what they did to begin with, but after that, my dislike grew. A Turk found me, and ever since that day, I've dedicated my life to becoming a Turk."_

_"What about your parents?" He had become involved in her story. He wanted to hear what had happened._

_"Katherine died, and Xzerl went crazy, killing himself." She sighed and pulled her shirt over her stomach just enough so he could see a number of scars, one very prominent one over her ribcage. "I got all of them from one night, just because she got sick and died in her sleep. Caris was away, rallying the men to find herbs to heal Katherine. Abandoning me, leaving me behind in a well, and trying to murder me. That is why I never use my last name, because it reminds me of these scars. Of the wounds that have yet to heal..."_

_Rufus was silent, soaking in her story as she fixed her shirt. He reached out and touched her arm, smiling at her. "Thank you, for telling me your story." __At last, proof that she did care. Larette may not have said the words, but telling him all of that, it might as well have been a full-blown confession. Though one thing nagged at him. "However, I can't help to wonder...Why do you believe in Shin-Ra?"_

_Of all the stupid questions he could have asked her..."Why do I support Shin-Ra? Because, when I was little, I always thought that Shin-Ra controlled the Turks, and... That's pretty much it. There were probably other reasons, but all I can remember is that. That...and why I continue to support Shin-Ra."_

_"Oh?" He patted the ground next to himself._

_She sat down, grazing his wet white suit as she did so. "I believe in you." It was here that she made her promise to him. "Rufus, I promise that as long as I believe in you, I will be at your side. Because I love you."_

President Shinra continued, "Yes, I know what transpired in that rat-hole. You two fell in love."

She looked down, ashamed. "Rufus and I...There's nothing there, not really."

He smirked nastily, "Ah, so you're worried about what will happen to my son, aren't you? My dear, he could turn traitor, and nothing would change in his standing here at Shin-Ra. But you? So many options are availible...Only one thing would prevent his rise to power and would save you - to a degree. But I won't let that happen, because the company needs to stay pure."

"Sir?" Larette was relived to hear that Rufus would not suffer, but she soon begain to worry about herself. "What are you going to do to me?"

He laughed, pulling a gun from his desk drawer. "Nothing, if you cooperate and leave quietly." He cocked the gun, pointing directly between her eyes, "But if you ever speak to my son again..."

_So long ago now it seemed. The days of conflict, remorse, laughter, and even love. It took years to voice and moments to happen, but it was real and true. Rufus had lost his temper many times and had done great evil, but still, she believed in him. Centuries, eons, and decades had past, but she knew then, perhaps even all along. Yes, she could say it now, she wasn't afraid or ashamed. Larette loved Rufus...and he had loved her in return._


	3. Death, Is Only The Beginning

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I'm sorry it's so short! Ok, unofficially, I have decided to split this entire fic into separate mini-series (multiple part/different stories). Probably. The first (Tears of Black), will focus on Larette and her dealings with Shin-Ra/her origins. The second will focus on something else, like maybe what happens after this. Maybe it'll be a prequel. Who knows? However, they will all be about Larette, just so y'all know. Also, I totally see "President Shinra" to have been married many times. Wow, now I can't get the image of Rufus as the Goblin King (David Bowie in Labyrinth) outta my head. You'll understand why if you read on. I hope you do, but if not, well, that's just too bad. Thank you death wish girl! It's nice having such a good review!

P.S.

Please be kind and review!

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_Larette sat in the office of President Shinra. He, interviewing her to make sure she was worthy enough to watch over his son, asked her about the only subject she found to be taboo: her parents, Xzerl and Katherine Black. She had answered him the same way she would answer his son years later. She told them of her rebel parents, of being abandoned and nearly murdered by her father, and of the nameless Turk who had saved her life. She had shown Rufus the scars, but she did no such thing for his father. He had found her answers to be appropriate enough, so she got the job. Even since before then, he had not trusted Larette and knew that someday they would meet again in less than favorable circumstances..._

_Late one night, shortly after coming back from Larette's hometown of Gongaga, Rufus went to speak to his father. Nothing odd there, as they often discussed business at odd intervals such as this. But President Shinra knew better. Rufus, slipping past Larette for the night, had informally entered his father's home study. The moon, surrounded by a halo of clouds, bathed them in white light._

_"Father, I have to talk to you." Rufus stormed into the room and slammed his fists on the ivory desk._

_His father barely looked at him, suspecting what this was about. "Is it about the company?"_

_"Larette." He knew that his father would immediately think one of two things, so he quickly proceeded to say, "I love her."_

_He was expecting this. He did not want to hear it, but he knew it would happen. This was his worst fear and largest reason for not wanting Larette around his son in the first place. "Love? You're a businessman. You know only greed, power, and money. What could you know of love?"_

_Rufus shook his head, sitting down in the white rounded seats at his father's desk. "I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She's special-"_

_President Shinra held up his hand, silencing his son. "No, I won't allow you to throw away everything you've worked so hard for! This woman...She won't be your wife as long as I have anything to say about it."_

_He shook his head, thinking over what his father was telling him, "You won't accept her, even if she were to quit her job?"_

_He laughed at the very thought, knowing that Larette wouldn't do so willingly, "She'd never do that."_

_Rufus thought that he had this one in the bag, at least hypothetically, "If she did though, and if I were to make it so that she had no say in the company whatsoever-"_

_"I'd still never allow it. This woman is wrong for you, and for the company. You know what she comes from." the President gave his son his final offer. "Marry her and lose everything...Or, stay here to become President someday, and I'll let her continue working for you."_

_Rufus took only a moment to think about it. "I won't let you down father." He chose his money and power over Larette, the most natural thing that one as ruthless as him would do._

_Later, that same night, Larette too went to see the President. The only difference was, she had been summoned to his office. Again, she cowered under the pressence of the most powerful man in the world, arguably so. He looked down on her as if she were vermin, no, lower than vermin. His dislike of her grew immensely upon hearing his son's wishes. They exchanged a few pleasantries before he cut right to the chase. He told her everything that he and his son had talked about. Everything...but what his son had originally come to see him for in the first place. He made no mention or allusions that Rufus loved her or that he had thought about marrying her._

_"Rufus and I had the most interesting conversation. He had it in his head...Well, what he was thinking isn't important. The reason I brought you here was because his head's up in the clouds, and as you know, as VP, he must be rooted firmly." He turned to gaze out the window. "Miss Black...You're dedicated to your work more than anything, aren't you? My son and I are. No matter how much stands in our way, we will prevail, choosing money and power each and every time. Why else would I have had so many wives over the years?"_

_She wasn't sure, but Larette was confident that Rufus had made a choice, a very important choice, and he had chosen money. And though she didn't know what the decision was between, she felt hurt. "...I understand."_

_"I don't think you do," President Shinra proceeded to blackmail her. "I've allowed my son to keep you as a bodyguard, however, should I find you crossing the line again Miss Black, you will be very sorry." President Shinra regretted not just disposing of her now, but a part of him cared enough for his son to let her live... At least for the moment..._

Larette, currently resigned, heard a loud bang, and the next thing she knew, something warm was trickling down her head. President Shinra had shot her, hitting the side of her head. She fell out of the chair onto the floor, senses fading fast. Blood ran down the side of her face, forming a small puddle that crowned her head. President Shinra hummed merrily, cleaning off his gun and calling a Turk into the office. Rude had heard the gunshot, so he wasn't surprised to see a dead body on the floor. Yet, it did shock him that it was Larette. They'd worked together before, and he had trained her for a short while before she joined the Turks. They were good friends.

President Shinra pointed ruthlessly at the body on the floor, "You know what to do with her."

A good Turk to the end, Rude took Larette's body away to 'dispose' of it. "..."

**To be continued in "Were He Alive" and in "Chrome"...**


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